Fresh injury concerns may see Town dip into free agency market

Fresh injury concerns may see David Flitcroft dip into free agency market

SWINDON Town manager David Flitcroft admits a new injury for club captain Olly Lancashire may spark the club to move into the free agency market in search of defensive cover.

Last weekend, Flitcroft revealed Matt Preston had suffered a season-ending knee injury and with fellow centre-back Lancashire also on the sidelines with an ankle issue at the time, the addition of a free agent had entered his mind.

Lancashire was fit to return to the Town team on Saturday but lasted less than half-an-hour as injury struck again – this time to his calf – as the team slipped to a 2-1 defeat away at Chesterfield in League Two.

Flitcroft will look to ascertain a full diagnosis on the problem this week and concedes it could accelerate the need to bolster his defensive ranks.

“I have got to speak to the chairman and also uncover the extent of Lancs’ injury. That is what we will do once it settles down,” said Flitcroft.

“It (a free agent) is an option and an alternative. It is something we might have to look at, for sure, and we will start on Monday.

“Olly has pulled his calf. Whether the work he has had done on his ankle has overcompensated for it, I don’t know, but it is a different injury to the ankle that he’s had – we have got that settled down.

“It is like any injury, once you start messing with a part of the body, something else sometimes go because you are over-compensating.”

Academy defender Joe Romanski has been on the bench for Town in recent weeks and although impressed by the youngster, Flitcroft feels it would be too much to ask for him to step up at this stage.

Flitcroft said: “Joe Romanski is not ready at the minute. He is a young kid, to throw him into a real promotion drive isn’t fair on him. He does train with us on quite a regular basis but he is not ready.”

On-loan midfielder Timi Elsnik was forced to sit out altogether against Chesterfield and Flitcroft revealed he had returned to parent club Derby County for his rehabilitation.

“It was touch and go for Saturday but he is Derby’s player and they will not risk him, I understand that,” said Flitcroft.

“He trained at Derby on Friday and he is being looked after by their medical team, which is obviously a lot more comprehensive than ours.

“We are hoping to get him back towards the back end of the week so we are going to have to speak to Derby in the early part of the week.”

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